The Promise of the Future
by marysunshine81
Summary: An alternate ending to the season 6 finale, what if it had been Diane at Alicia's door
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I channeled my frustration over the ending of the season 6 finale into this piece of writing. I hadn't really cared about who's at Alicia's door until 5 minutes before the end of the episode, when I began to wish for it to be Diane._

 _So this is an alternate ending to the episode (that makes more sense in my head than the real ending did) and I might as well turn it into a multichap, if I can juggle another that is._

 _Which reminds me, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while, as many of you know I have my reasons, sadly. So it felt even better to write something again. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it._

 _Special thanks to Ale for the help and Sab for the betaing. Dedicated to Chrissie, because she and I had the same wish that never came true._

* * *

 **The Promise of the Future**

As the elevator opened on the ninth floor, she hesitated to step out. She still remembered the last time she had been there. It had been on her wedding day; a day that quickly turned into a nightmare, but it felt like a lifetime ago now. So much had changed since then and she didn't like most of the things life had thrown at her during this time.

She had lost her law partner in a court shooting, then lost their firm to the devil himself. She also lost her best ally, who'd basically saved her from jail and who she could always rely on in the past. She couldn't believe it had taken her this long to say it was enough. But the time finally arrived to voice those words, so she exited the elevator and approached the door with hurried steps; she was eager to knock on it, though for a completely different reason than the time before.

Back then they had just turned into enemies and she had only been here to negotiate. Meanwhile now the woman inside was someone she still had the chance to reconnect with, so she was facing her door, ready to take matters into her own hands again.

"Diane?" The surprise on Alicia's face was not at all unexpected.

"Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing," Diane uttered hesitantly, and peeked inside, trying to guess if Alicia was alone.

"Of course not, would you like to come in?" She opened the door wider, and her warm, welcoming smile rose Diane's confidence. She had a feeling Alicia was actually happy to see her.

"I would, thank you." Diane returned the smile and entered, then followed Alicia to a small room that looked like an office.

"It's my temporary office," Alicia explained, gesturing for Diane to take a seat.

When both of them were sitting, Diane was still distracted by the sight of Alicia's simply decorated home office, with the family photos making it even more intimate. She had felt guilty for disappointing Alicia in order to keep the firm's biggest client, but right now the other woman didn't seem like she needed her pity. She was at home, in every sense of the word, this little office suited her and she actually looked like she belonged here.

"It's really nice," Diane noted with a smile, and gazed into the other woman's eyes.

"How can I help you?" Alicia's question sounded a little too professional, but the reason for Diane's visit wasn't personal either, so she finally felt ready to spill it out.

"I was wondering if you need someone to start all over with … and by someone I mean me."

Alicia's eyes were even wider now than a few minutes earlier when she'd opened the door. Diane didn't blame her though, she wouldn't have believed her own words either.

"What? Are you serious?" She seemed surprised, but definitely in a good way. From the twinkle in her eyes Diane could tell that she was both flattered and excited by the suggestion.

"I am. We wanted to do it once already, it didn't work out, but maybe we deserve a second chance."

It all sounded so logical, but of course that didn't mean she had no doubts. She had many of them, but the reasons for her visit to make this offer to her former partner were stronger. She'd had enough of people telling her what to do. She didn't want to choose the rich client over her partner. She didn't want to fight against two men to make decisions at _her_ firm. She deserved better than that. She hadn't worked so hard her whole life to put up with all of this now.

She didn't need rich clients to make her life better. She already had a pretty good one, the financial security and a steady marriage to rely on. She deserved to have professional satisfaction too, and that's why she'd thought of joining Alicia, who may have needed someone on this new road she was forced to take.

"I'm all for second chances these days," Alicia replied with a smile that made all of Diane's worries disappear. She didn't even need time to think or any more convincing and that was definitely a good sign.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Diane smiled back at her former _and future_ partner, and her gut was clearly telling her that this was right.

It wasn't the first time she made an offer like this to her, and back then it hadn't been Alicia who opposed the idea either. In fact they had meant to build the biggest firm in Chicago run by women. This time their goals were completely different though. They both wanted to build something meaningful instead.

"Your timing is really good, because someone just turned down the offer to join me," Alicia revealed and Diane thought she knew who she was talking about. Hopefully they would be a better fit than Alicia and Finn could have been.

"Actually Canning is to thank for that," she admitted, now that she and Alicia were on the same page, she could talk to her honestly about this.

It had been Canning's outrage that opened Diane's eyes, that made her realize she kept making compromises she shouldn't have. Canning's bull's eyes on her firm was the last thing she needed, especially considering how they had parted the last time. She wouldn't let the devil take what was hers ever again, she'd rather give it up willingly for something better.

"Really? You need to tell me everything," Alicia urged her with a teasing smile. "I have wine," she added to tempt Diane even more.

"How could I say no to that?" she gave in with a chuckle, even though she could have used something stronger at the moment.

A little later Alicia came back with a bottle of white wine and two glasses. She was about to open the wine when they heard a knock on the front door.

"Maybe someone else also wants to make an offer to you," Diane noted jokingly.

"I already have a new partner," Alicia lifted her drink with a wide smile and they clinked their glasses to taste the wine that held the promise of their future together.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: My muse didn't let me end this story with ch1, in fact I've already finished ch3 (that will feature Kurt too) and planned ch4 as well. I don't see this fic getting too long, but I can't really tell yet._

 _I think it's the first time I wrote Grace, hope I did her justice._

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Their laughter echoed through the whole apartment and the wine they had consumed was only partially to blame for that.

"Did you see his face when he noticed me?" Diane took them back to the moment she'd set foot in Alicia's kitchen a few minutes earlier to show her presence to the unwelcome visitor.

"He wasn't pleased," Alicia noted, still pretty much amused by said encounter.

"That's one way to put it," Diane's snarky comment made both of them laugh.

"I can't believe he actually thought I would partner with _him_ of all people," Alicia pointed out with a look of disgust, but Diane still remembered well the conversation the two of them had had only a few years ago. Alicia had wanted a raise and basically presented an ultimatum, threatening Diane to take Canning's offer and leave Lockhart/Gardner. Of course a lot had changed in their lives since that day.

"Stranger things have happened," she smiled to herself, not intending to open up an old wound. She had a feeling everything would be completely different this time.

"I guess I owe you a thank you, for saving me from him," Alicia sounded very grateful, although Diane couldn't be sure how she would have reacted to Canning's visit if Diane hadn't been the one to arrive first.

"It was my pleasure. Watching you slam the door in his face was already worth it," she chuckled, it was the least that bastard deserved. If he had dropped dead in front of Alicia's apartment from the shock, she would still have thought the same.

"It was fun," Alicia smiled humbly.

"It was, although since I made him angry twice in a row, we will have to watch our backs even more from now on," Diane pointed out, aware that Canning was the worst enemy they could possibly have.

"Don't we always?" Alicia concluded, raising her glass and Diane did the same before she drank some more from the wine.

"In the name of full disclosure, I have to admit I'm still kind of angry with your husband, because of the judgeship thing." She wasn't sure where this confession came from, all of a sudden, but she probably needed to get it off her chest sooner rather than later.

"Yeah, I figured," Alicia didn't seem offended at all. "If it's any consolation, I'm often angry with him, too," she admitted and that was already the most personal information she'd ever shared with Diane about her marriage.

"I think it is." Diane appreciated the gesture a lot. "So it won't cause any problems between us?" she inquired hopefully.

"We won't let it," Alicia promised with a serious expression, so it was easy to believe her. "I do like your husband though," she added with a smile.

"Good that we cleared that up," Diane chuckled, acknowledging the compliment with a nod.

"Mom?" they heard a voice from the other end of the apartment.

"In here," Alicia shouted and soon her daughter appeared in the doorway. "Grace, you remember Diane, right?"

"Of course, hi," the girl glanced at Diane with a flustered smile.

"Hi," Diane's smile widened. She couldn't help but notice how much more grown-up Grace looked compared to the last time she saw her.

"Diane and I are going to be partners again," Alicia announced and at the same time explained the wine glasses in their hands.

"Seriously? That's awesome!" Grace seemed genuinely happy.

"I like your mom's new office," Diane observed, looking around again.

"I do too, we decorated it together," the girl admitted proudly.

"Grace offered to be my assistant, she needs to have an internship for college," Alicia noted and Diane didn't miss the humble expression on the girl's face.

"I think that's a great idea," Diane agreed and noticed how Grace's face turned really excited.

"I'm looking forward to working with my mom," she announced cheerfully.

"That makes two of us," Diane joined in.

"But this office isn't large enough for two, let alone three." Alicia's observation reminded Diane that there were still a lot of things they needed to talk about, office space was just one of them.

"I'm sure we will find suitable offices," she replied, but it was probably for the best if they left that discussion for another day.

"Preferably one without cockroaches," Alicia commented with a chuckle.

"I would hope so," Diane began to laugh remembering the moment Alicia was referring to.

"Cockroaches?" their inside joke caught Grace's attention.

Alicia glanced at Diane and she nodded slightly, giving permission.

"Diane met one in our old offices," Alicia revealed and Grace's eyes widened.

"It wasn't a pretty encounter," Diane noted, still laughing at the memory.

"She completely freaked out," Alicia gave away, making Grace chuckle too.

"I guess I did," Diane admitted and drank out the rest of the wine from her glass quickly.

"I solemnly promise there will be no cockroaches this time," Alicia announced a little ceremonially.

"I'm happy to hear that," Diane responded with an appreciative smile, then noticed the time on the clock on the wall. "I'm sorry, but I need to go."

"You should stay for dinner, we will order Chinese," Grace offered and as much as Diane hated to burst the girl's sweet enthusiasm, she had to turn her down.

"As tempting as that sounds, I do have my own chef at home, who's probably waiting for me already," she stood up, with an apologetic smile on her face.

"Wow, Kurt can cook?" Alicia seemed more than surprised.

"He can, you should come over for dinner sometime," Diane delivered an abrupt but heartfelt invitation.

"I'd like that," her new partner accepted with a grin.

"I'll call you after I talked to Cary tomorrow," Diane promised, and they both knew that was a conversation she wasn't looking forward to. She'd come here without consulting with anyone from the firm. Cary would probably feel betrayed and rightly so.

"Are you sure you don't want me to be there?" Alicia offered, and even though Diane appreciated it, she couldn't accept it.

"I'd rather do it alone," she tried to sound determined.

Cary hadn't wanted her in his firm on the first place, but their relationship had developed a lot in the past months. Diane had always been protective of him, but somehow their partnership never really felt like a match. It was probably for the best for both of them if they went separate ways.

"I'll be waiting for your call," Alicia let her go with an encouraging smile and when Diane left the apartment she was still smiling to herself.

It was definitely a new beginning for them both.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"I'm home," Diane shouted once she was inside the door of their apartment.

"In the kitchen," her husband replied and she walked there with hurried steps, while she tried to guess by its appetizing smell what he was cooking for dinner.

"Roast chicken?" she inquired as she stopped in the doorway.

"Yep, with mixed mushroom stuffing," Kurt responded with a smile. "Are we celebrating something?" His gaze shifted to Diane's hand and to the bottle of champagne that she was holding.

"Maybe," her lips curled up in a mysterious smile.

She hadn't told him about her plan to visit Alicia, since she couldn't have been sure of the woman's response. And Diane didn't want Kurt to worry about her, so she'd tried to leave him out of it completely. Of course this way she wasn't sure how he would react to her announcement.

"Dinner's almost ready," he noted and approached, giving her time to share the news at her own pace.

"We can open it afterwards," she suggested and welcomed her husband's lips on hers.

Their one and a half year long marriage had only become stronger with time and the certainty of having someone to come home to was the best part she had the pleasure to experience every single day.

o-o-o

"I need to talk to you about something," she arrived at the subject once their plates were almost empty.

Actually she needed to tell him something, but she didn't want him to feel he had no say in the matter, although it was the truth. Even if he was her husband, and would be affected by this change in her life, she felt like it was her decision alone. She was counting on his support though and hoped to have a reason to celebrate with him later.

"I'm listening," Kurt replied patiently, focusing his eyes on her face.

"I'm planning to leave the firm and join Alicia instead. I've been thinking about this for a few days and today I visited her to offer my partnership and she accepted it." She spoke slowly, giving him time to absorb each word.

As usual it was hard to tell Kurt's thoughts by just looking at his face. But when the pause got longer he finally uttered an "Okay."

"Do you think it's crazy?" she asked to help him express his opinion.

"Maybe a little," he agreed and she didn't blame him for the honesty at all, since she asked for it.

"I feel like I'm drowning there, nothing is the way it used to be," she admitted and he immediately placed his hand on hers.

"If you feel like you need to do this, then do it," he said supportively, making her smile.

"I do," she nodded. She had no doubts left anymore, especially now that Kurt seemed to be okay with the idea as well.

"For a moment I thought you'd tell me you want to retire," Kurt noted and Diane was amused, not so much by the idea, but that it crossed his mind on the first place.

"How would you have felt about that?" she posed the question to feed her curiosity.

As weird as it might seem, retirement hadn't even crossed her mind. She was certain she had a few more years of fight left in her, she wasn't ready to give up on the law yet.

"I'm not sure, but so much has happened lately, I wouldn't blame you for needing a break," Kurt pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure I could use a break," Diane admitted something that was very unlike her, "but I've already made different plans," she added, causing Kurt to smile.

"I think it's time to open that champagne," he suggested, and when she nodded, he left the table to get the bottle from the fridge.

When he placed the bottle and the two glasses on the table in front of them Diane gently touched his arm and looked up at him.

"You being here for me, I just want you to know how much it means to me."

She felt like she had to say it, because she definitely didn't say it often enough. Of course he was aware of it, whether she said it out loud or not. They didn't always need words and it was rare for her to get so emotional on the first place.

His eyes found hers, but his lips didn't or probably couldn't come up with a reply. Instead he bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

Once he opened the bottle and filled their glasses he sat back next to her.

"To your new adventure," he raised his glass and she clinked hers to it with a wide smile.

She wasn't entirely sure what she had signed up for with Alicia, but it was something new and exciting. A year ago, when she'd joined Alicia and Cary's firm, she had done it because that had been her only option. She wasn't out of options now, she made the offer to Alicia because she wanted to try something completely different.

"It's good to have the city's best ballistics expert on our side," she commented jokingly and Kurt began to chuckle.

"You mean the state's right?" he asked in a teasing tone and Diane's laughter filled the room straight away.

"Of course, but we might not be able to pay you too much," she pointed out.

"I'm sure we will come to a satisfying agreement," he responded with a telling grin. "Given that one of the partners is exactly my type." He leaned closer and Diane noticed how his eyes began to wander downwards from her face, while one of his hand landed on her thigh under the table.

"What you not say," she teased him with a chuckle. "Does Mr. McVeigh want an advance payment on a future case right now?" she offered, while Kurt's hand was already caressing the inside of her thighs, causing her to gasp for air.

"I want you," he whispered close to her ear and he certainly didn't have to say it twice.

* * *

 _A/N: I know it's a story about Diane and Alicia, but hopefully no one minds some Kurt here and there :D_

 _To that anon reviewer who asked me to mention a certain topic between Alicia and Diane, I definitely wanted to, just thought it might be too early in the previous chapter, but it will surely come :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

On her way to their meeting Diane was thinking of a similar sunny day from four years ago, when she'd told Cary about her plan to leave Lockhart/Gardner and asked him to join her. She had thought Will had teamed up with their third partner behind her back and meant to start her own firm to get back at them. In the end she'd stayed with Will and had to take the offer back, disappointing Cary.

Cary would probably be just as disappointed today when she would tell him about her plans. But she still hoped they would be able to discuss it without a fight. He should appreciate that she wasn't going behind his back. She hadn't even called any of her clients, she wanted to share the news with her partner first and not allow any rumors to get in the way.

They met on the street again, just like the other time. She didn't want to have this conversation in the office, since his reaction was unpredictable. The last thing she needed were witnesses to a possible fight with her partner.

"I'm leaving," she opened with the same words she had four years ago and judging from the expression on Cary's face, he also had a deja vu feeling about the scenario. He was even wearing a similar outfit as the last time given that he arrived jogging again.

"The firm?" he guessed, keeping the eye contact with her.

"Yes," she nodded and waited for his conclusion.

"Are you retiring?"

He thought of the same thing her husband had and that put a barely visible smile on Diane's face. And she could easily have tried to fool him like she had tried with Canning and David a year ago, but she'd chosen a completely different tactic this time.

"No," she paused again to see where his mind would go next.

"Then we have a problem," he concluded as he probably realized her true intentions.

"Maybe not. I'm joining Alicia, so I don't see too many of my clients following me," she revealed that he didn't really have a reason to get angry with her.

Of course she could see her clients leave the firm after she does and she certainly wouldn't offer to talk them out of it. She doubted many would even think of following her to a small practice, but it didn't bother her at the moment.

"Why would you do that?" Cary was confused, but she didn't really blame him.

 _I'm tired,_ she thought, but this was something she didn't mean to share with him.

"I need a change," she went with the less dramatic explanation.

"It's a career suicide," he pointed out.

"Maybe, but this is my decision," she insisted firmly.

She had another reason she barely had the courage to admit to herself, let alone to anyone else, and especially not to her husband. She didn't feel completely healthy anymore. Maybe age was just a number, but those numbers started to really count for her recently. She could definitely benefit from a less stressful environment. Chasing money wasn't the most important thing in life anymore.

"As long as we get to keep your clients," Cary said a bit jokingly.

"That's their decision," she reminded him.

They both knew they would surely lose one client, the one who prevented Alicia from coming back to her firm on the first place. Not that it mattered anymore. Alicia actually seemed happy with her new situation and Diane was sure she would feel the same way once she would officially be out the door for good.

"Will you tell the partners?" Cary moved on from understanding her reasons and began to think ahead.

"Yes, I just wanted you to be the first to know," she admitted.

She tried to do it differently than the last time when she had plotted behind Will's back, or the time Cary had done the same with Alicia behind her back. All of her cards were on the table now and that probably explained Cary's fairly calm reaction.

"I appreciate it," he fleshed her his boyish smile.

"We've been through a lot together," she smiled back at him. She felt relieved that the conversation went so smoothly.

"Yes and I'm grateful that you stood by me through the trial," he put to words what she'd already felt. The trial had actually mended their broken relationship.

"Hope my exit package will reflect that gratitude," she mentioned a little playfully, but that was actually the part she dreaded. Last time she had planned to leave the firm for the judgeship, the negotiation had become really ugly.

"Knowing David, it probably won't," Cary pointed out the real problem, she knew that David on the other end of the table was always a real nightmare.

"Good luck with handling him in the future," she tried to shake off the previous thought and look ahead, at the times when she wouldn't have to deal with the egoistic divorce lawyer anymore.

"I have a feeling I'm going to need it," Cary seemed insecure, but she understood.

In fact she wasn't even sure how long the partnership of the two of them would actually last. But that wasn't really her problem. If Cary had any fears about his own future, he certainly wouldn't let them show to her.

"Thank you for handling this so well, I wasn't sure how you'd react," she had to give him credit for making it a lot easier for her.

"So much has happened lately," he sighed and she claimed to see the sadness in his eyes. She didn't have to wonder who was the cause of it.

"Yeah," she kept her reply short, just to make it clear she understood.

"We will miss you, well I will," he admitted something unexpected and it put a smile on Diane's face.

"I won't be too far away," she replied grinning, leaving the interpretation to him.

Cary began to chuckle, understanding what she meant, that their paths would surely cross again, it was a small world after all.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N:I wrote this chapter a few weeks ago, but kept it to myself until now. I guess I wasn't really satisfied with it. But since life interferes with my writing lately, I decided to update this multichap, so you know it's still alive. I hope I'll be able to get back to writing soon!_

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

It wasn't the first time Diane was about to say goodbye to her office, but she wondered if this would be the last one. She had kept ending up there, simply because that's where she belonged. Although she was aware things might turn out differently this time.

She had to sign the lease over to David and Cary, so it all seemed pretty final now. David had learnt from the previous time, but it also earned Diane some extra cash to her exit package, so she didn't mind that much. She didn't exactly get what she was worth, but she was tired of fighting, she just wanted to move on.

"Need any help?" Alicia entered the office, interrupting Diane's musings.

"Last time I left, I only took this photo," Diane pointed at her picture with Hillary.

"You definitely need to bring that with you," Alicia responded with a smile. "I still remember what you told me on my first day. _Men can be lazy, women can't._ I've tried to follow your advice, not that it got me too far," she added with a sigh.

Diane began to smile remembering their first meeting with Alicia. It felt like a lifetime ago. She had only looked at her as Will's protégé back then, it had taken her a while to acknowledge her own merits.

"Do you regret running?" Diane inquired, thinking of another conversation they'd had in her office in the middle of Alicia's campaign not too long ago.

That discussion turned a little heated and Alicia had ended up accusing Diane of something very ridiculous. But that's how it usually was with fights between partners. They got carried away, but moved on just as easily. They had managed to put that fight behind them along with all the other past confrontations, aware that new ones were always expected to show up from any corner.

"I don't regret the experience, but I don't think I'm cut out for that," Alicia admitted honestly.

"We can never know until we try," Diane agreed.

Not long ago her own husband had thrown it at her head during another heated argument that if she wanted to run for office, she should. She wasn't sure what was holding her back, probably the failed attempts played a part of it though. She couldn't imagine Alicia trying it anytime soon either.

"What the hell, Diane?"

They both turned to the door hearing the angry voice of Diane's clearly upset visitor.

"I'm sorry?" Diane stared at her richest client as he stormed inside.

"You didn't even have the decency to tell me you were leaving? After everything I have done for you?" _Reese_ Dipple stopped in front of Diane, not noticing they weren't alone.

"We only finished the negotiations a half hour ago," she explained, not that it was any of his business. She didn't like that he acted so entitled.

"You were the one going out of your way to get your hands on my fat retainer check and now you are throwing it away? I thought you are smarter than this."

She didn't understand why he thought he had the right to judge her. Truth was, he knew nothing about her.

"Excuse me?" she felt her anger rise, and considering how many times she had had to hold back against him, it was a wonder she'd let him get away with it until now.

"You are boarding a leaking ship, while you could have stayed under my wings."

Diane opened her mouth, unsure what to reply yet, taken aback by his choice of words and glanced at Alicia who was a witness to his outburst.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Dipple, but Diane and I are going to be fine," Alicia revealed her presence to the man who looked surprised.

"Mrs. Florrick," he turned to Alicia, who bore his observant eyes with a wide smile.

"Mr. Dipple," she nodded.

"I think you've made yourself clear, sir," Diane chose the high road, although she would have loved to tell him that their conversations may have been stimulating sometimes, but her husband was just as good a sparring partner, and at least Kurt never acted like he owned her.

"You are going to regret this," the man mumbled after standing Diane's gaze for a few long seconds.

"Goodbye, Mr. Dipple," she responded, expecting another sarcastic remark, but he either ran out of them or held them back.

He simply turned around and walked away.

"I guess he isn't staying with Agos & Lee either," Alicia noted.

"I don't care, I should have let him leave weeks ago when he threatened to do it if you were to come back. Things would have turned out differently," Diane sighed.

"You did what you felt was right," Alicia answered with a smile, showing she didn't hold a grudge. "Besides, Florrick/Lockhart sounds a lot better than Agos/Lockhart/Lee & Florrick."

"You only say that because your name comes first," Diane said jokingly, letting the tension out with a nervous chuckle.

"Are we really going to argue about that?" Alicia teased her, still smiling.

"I already ordered our door-plate," Diane admitted.

"Then we better find a door to put it on."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter** **Six**

"Would you like another coffee?"

Grace showed up in the doorway of Florrick/Lockhart's temporary office, which was still in Alicia's apartment. Hopefully not for much longer. The ladies had spent the afternoon searching for their future office space and made a few appointments on the phone for the rest of the week. The hope was that by next week, they would be able to move to a more comfortable place, which would also look professional enough for their clients.

"Not for me, thank you," Diane rejected the offer politely. "I'm leaving soon anyway," she added after checking her wristwatch. Her husband was supposed to pick her up any moment now.

"No, thank you," Alicia replied, sharing a smile with her daughter.

"Anything else you need help with?" the girl offered enthusiastically despite the rather late hour.

"I think we're done for today," Alicia declared, but glanced at Diane who nodded in agreement.

"Can I leave then? I'm meeting some friends," Grace waited for her mother's permission.

"Of course, have fun and thank you," Alicia let her go.

"It's my pleasure," her daughter responded before she left them alone.

"We should put her in charge of the office warming party," Diane noted, while she was already packing up her things.

"She would love that," Alicia agreed proudly.

"Next Friday?" Diane's suggestion clearly surprised Alicia a little, but after a short consideration she nodded.

"You're right, the sooner, the better."

When they heard the doorbell ring, Diane's lips curled up.

"It must be Kurt," she concluded.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Alicia smiled at her partner.

"We might go to dinner, would you like to join us?" Diane offered, feeling a little guilty for leaving Alicia all alone.

"Oh no, thank you. I'll be fine. Go, enjoy your evening," she insisted, so Diane left the room to let her husband in.

After they said goodnight to Alicia they exited the apartment and approached the elevator.

"So dinner?" Kurt asked, casually leaning against the wall of the elevator once they were inside.

"Let's go," Diane's lips curled up before she leaned closer to place a kiss on his lips.

They only parted when the doors opened on the ground floor.

o-o-o

The small restaurant was near their apartment. They liked going there on special occasions or simply when there was no time to cook. They even had their usual table which was almost always free even when they hadn't bothered with reservation. Tonight was no exception.

By the time they placed their orders and got their drinks, Diane noticed that her husband probably had something on his mind, since he was even more silent than usual.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his above the table, stroking it softly.

"Yeah, with you?" he directed the question back at her.

"It was an odd day," she sighed, thinking of the arguments she had with her former partners, not to mention with Reese Dipple in the morning.

"I got a call," Kurt mentioned and somehow Diane knew right away what the call was about.

"R.D. called you," she assumed and he nodded. "Let me guess, you were uninvited from future deer hunting events."

"Something like that," he admitted and she couldn't really tell how he felt about it, but she was sure this was the reason behind his unusual silence.

"I'm sorry," she said wholeheartedly. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble for you."

"He wasn't too cordial on the phone, did he talk to you the same way by any chance?" he eyed her, waiting for an answer and Diane decided to be honest.

"He wasn't exactly cordial in person either," she revealed and hid her eyes from him in shame, until she felt his hand pressing hers.

"I guess now it's my turn to apologize, since I was the one introducing you two," he took her side easily and Diane didn't even know why she'd expected anything less.

"Thank God you are a Republican with manners," she said half-jokingly, as she finally raised her eyes on him again.

His chuckle made her smile and she closed the short distance between them to seal her words with a kiss.

Their delicious dinner was spent with an agreeable conversation about their day, leaving out the problematic parts. Only when they asked for the check did Diane realize she forgot to mention something important.

"Hope you have no plans for next Friday," she addressed him with a meaningful expression on her face.

"What are we doing next Friday?" he understood her intention right away.

"Alicia and I are giving an office warming party," she declared proudly.

"I thought you don't have an office yet," Kurt pointed out with a confused expression.

"What's your point?" Diane pretended to be offended.

"Nothing, I think I know what I'm doing next Friday," he concluded with a smile that was intended to please and reached the desired effect.

"Nice save," she flashed him an appreciative grin.

"You are amazing, I hope you know that," he flattered her, and even though she wasn't sure it was still to make up for his previous comment or came naturally, she didn't question that it was deserved either way. "I know you are able to do whatever you set your mind to," he continued, almost making her blush.

"It's okay, you can stop now," she chuckled.

"So I think the real question is how can I be of any help," he offered something she hadn't even thought of before, but it was far from her to reject him.

"Now we're talking," she welcomed his suggestion happily.

She had no doubt that he was right, that she was able to do whatever she set her mind to, and she was ready to prove it again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney, we're pleased you could make it," Alicia welcomed one of their few clients to the party.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Colin Sweeney flashed them his widest grin. "You and Miss Lockhart are going to build the biggest firm in Chicago and we'll be proud to say we've been here from the start," he added and turned to his wife, Renata, who nodded in agreement, her lips curled up to match his husband's.

"We're honored," Diane noted with a smile.

When Alicia had mentioned Sweeney was her only client left, Diane had found it rather amusing. It was a mystery why the famous alleged wife killer insisted on Alicia as his representation. Not to mention Diane knew Kurt had his own issues with him as well. But Sweeney's business meant money, and they needed every cent.

"Is your husband here, Mrs. Florrick?" Mr. Sweeney glanced around before his eyes stopped on Alicia again.

He had always favored the brunette over the blonde, but in his case Diane didn't mind or cared. Especially now that they were equal partners.

"He had a prior engagement, but he might arrive later," Alicia explained, while Diane began to wonder when her own other half would care to show up.

"I heard rumors that he might run for president," Sweeney brought up a subject Diane hadn't had the chance to discuss with Alicia yet either, although she'd heard the same rumors.

"I can neither confirm, nor deny that." Alicia's diplomatic answer was very on point.

"You as the First Lady, I can see that," Sweeney concluded, after looking Alicia up and down openly.

"That makes one of us." Alicia didn't sound enthusiastic at all, and Diane made a mental note to bring up this subject between them again in the near future. She was curious about how her partner felt about her husband's rather ambitious plans.

When she finally spotted her husband enter, Diane used the opportunity to flee from a conversation she wasn't really part of anyway. "Could you excuse me?"

"Sorry, I'm late," Kurt opened with an apology, but Diane was simply happy to see him.

"You haven't missed anything," she reassured him and kissed him on the lips.

"Quite a few people here already," Kurt observed after looking around.

"Yeah, I just wish there were more potential clients and less of those who're only here to root for our quick downfall," Diane responded a little bitterly.

Starting all over again wasn't easy, even if she'd enjoyed every minute of it so far. The harder part was still ahead of them.

"You'll be okay, I'm not worried," Kurt's encouraging comment put a huge grin on Diane's face.

"You have way too much faith in me," she patted his arm playfully.

"And if this doesn't work out, you can still run for office," he reminded her of the dream she wasn't even sure still existed among her thoughts.

"I'm starting to think you want me to run for office more than I do," she concluded with a chuckle.

"Could be fun," he shrugged with a mischievous smile.

A democratic candidate with a republican husband, fun probably didn't even begin to describe this surrealistic image Diane rushed to shake off from her thoughts, "I need to mingle, but I wanted to say hi. You know where the buffet is."

"You mean the buffet that was part of my responsibility," he pointed out, probably fishing for another compliment.

"Exactly, and you did a great job," she fulfilled his unvoiced wish.

"It was my pleasure. Will there be any dancing here tonight?" he glanced around.

"I'm not sure, probably," she replied, following his gaze to check out the guests.

Providing music was on Grace's to-do list, but they couldn't really predict where the party would lead.

"Just make sure to save one for me," he whispered and placed a kiss on her cheek before he let her go.

o-o-o

Diane had noticed Alicia walk away in the direction of their new office a few minutes earlier and when she hadn't showed up after a few minutes, she decided to follow her. The party was coming to an end soon, only a handful of people got slightly drunk, and the dance floor didn't stay empty for too long either. Grace proved that her musical knowledge exceeded her age and Diane shared more than one dance with her husband in between her obligatory dances as a host.

She and Alicia had done everything they could to entertain their guests, they definitely earned a few minutes to themselves.

She found Alicia standing there, looking out the window, so she knocked on the door, to announce her presence.

"Is everything okay?" she inquired while she stepped inside.

"Yeah, I just needed a quiet place for a phone call," she explained and Diane could only guess that call may have been to Peter, who was still a no-show at his wife's party.

"Looks like we did it," Diane announced proudly.

"We did," Alicia responded happily.

Their shared office may have been so small that they actually had to borrow the extra space for tonight's party, but they were officially in business again.

"How about a private toast?" Diane suggested and showed her partner the champagne bottle she'd snatched from the other room.

"Let's do it," Alicia welcomed the idea, so Diane filled two glasses with the golden liquid and handed Alicia one of them.

"To Florrick an..."

"And Lockhart," Alicia finished it for her, raising the glass in Diane's direction. "May we still be here a year from now," she added.

"Unless you'll be in the White House," Diane pointed out, still unsure about how Peter's candidacy would affect their small practice.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Alicia waved the mere thought away not only with words, but her hand as well.

"Then let's drink to moving to a bigger office soon," Diane switched to a playful tone.

"Hear, hear," Alicia echoed supportively.

A knock on the door almost startled them both. Grace was standing there and, judging by the look on her face, she didn't bring good news.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Canning is on the phone and she wants to talk to you now, mom," Grace informed her mother.

"Now? Did you tell her I'm busy?" Alicia tried to find a way out, while Diane began to wonder what Louis Canning's wife could want from them at this late hour.

"She said her husband died."

THE END

* * *

 _A/N: I know it was probably unexpected to find 'the end' note at the end of this chapter. I weighed the pros and cons and decided I need to end this fic here. When I started it after the season 6 finale I only had some vague ideas where I wanted to go with it. Sadly I didn't have enough time to work on my fics this summer, been trying to get my routine back these past weeks. But now that season 7 starts I don't want to be influenced by what's happening there, so I think it's the best time to say goodbye to this short story. I mentioned every topic I wanted to touch in this last chapter, so you can hopefully use your imagination for what might come. I don't want to give up hope that Diane and Alicia will someday lead a firm together again._

 _Thank you for reading and the reviews and enjoy season 7! (:_


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